Mayor Reed ‘88 Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award

The alumni council named Mayor Chelsea Smith Reed ‘88 the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The honor was bestowed upon Reed the morning of March 30 in Benjamin Hall. 

Head of School Mr. Dave Faus welcomed the audience of high school students, alumni, and special guests to the program as he introduced Mayor Reed.

“I’ve had the good fortune of having several meaningful conversations with Mayor Reed related to Palm Beach Gardens and the role that Benjamin plays in the community and trying to move some of the initiatives that are important to her and the school forward, like workforce housing and job opportunities,” Faus said. 

Reed spoke about some of those initiatives and her role as the Mayor along with the path she traveled to arrive there. 

 “For me, The Benjamin School was the catalyst for all the good things that happened in my life . . . It was the teachers who went above and beyond to take care of me when they knew I wasn’t getting that at home. It was the school that helped me overcome so much,” she said. 

Reed recounted the turbulent times she faced in her younger years and how those difficult times revealed to her who she wanted to be. 

“It was my experience at Benjamin, including decades of support from friends and fellow TBS families, that helped me live out the school’s new motto of ‘Go Benjamin, Then Go Anywhere.’ Ultimately, that love and support led me back here,” said Reed.

Reed, the first Benjamin graduate to become a female elected official, said the school is truly second to none. 

“This is a place that’s second to none, where you can go and go anywhere. But we do ask that you please come back. One of the biggest exports in our county is our students. I’m hopeful that the world we’re working on building for you [in Palm Beach County] will bring you back,” she said.